Kate's merry kitschmas! Duchess turns Anmer Hall into a temple of tinsel and tat to delight little George with TWO trees and no Windsor fuss... just the way William wants it
- William and Kate will attend the Christmas church service with the Queen
- But after they will return to Anmer Hall for lunch with the Middletons
- Example of the Duke wanting to give his children a 'normal' upbringing
- Duchess is said to have spent hundreds on tinsel and gaudy decorations
- See more of the latest news on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
'Going all out': Kate was spotted shopping for Christmas presents in London last week
It is no more than a ten-minute drive from the Queen’s country house on the vast Sandringham estate to her grandson’s home at Anmer Hall in Norfolk. Yet there are times when the two distinguished households might as well be worlds apart – and never more so than on Christmas Day.
For while the Queen and the rest of the Royal Family partake in a traditional – some might say austere – Christmas, in rooms tastefully dressed in red and gold, with tartan ribbons on the tree, The Mail on Sunday can reveal that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have created a veritable temple of kitsch for their two young children and guests.
Friends report that Kate has spent hundreds on gaudy decorations, including glittery baubles, flashing tree lights and mounds of tinsel, which her two-year-old son George apparently loves. The Duchess was spotted shopping as early as November with a view to making Anmer a riot of flashing colour.
The usually conservative Kate has bought two trees, the smaller of which has been dressed with flashing fairy lights for George and his seven-month-old sister, Charlotte. A larger tree has been dressed in a more tasteful colour scheme for the main house. ‘Kate has gone all out and there’s a lot of glitter, sparkle and Christmas cheer,’ says one source.
‘She wants it to be great fun for the kids.
‘There is nothing formal or stuffy, it’s all rather over the top and good fun. The Middletons always go OTT, and Kate and Will are following suit.’
This contrast to the traditional Royal approach is more than a matter of taste. Rather, it is another example of William rejecting the staid, rather Victorian, traditions of the Royal court to try to give his two children as ‘normal’ an upbringing as possible. The approach was typified by his decision, announced last week, to send Prince George to a public £5.50-an-hour Montessori nursery school in nearby King’s Lynn rather than a more private establishment.
But the Cambridges’ move has not gone unnoticed by other Royals. According to a source: ‘Some of the Royals are rather snippy about what they call the “Alternative Anmer Christmas” and I’ve heard one say “It’s the Cambridge way or no way”.
‘Prince Charles realises this Anmer Christmas with all the Middletons in tow is “non-negotiable’’.’ One source who knows the Cambridges well said: ‘It’s not Kate, but William who has instigated this. He wants an ordinary, fun, family Christmas in his own home and that’s what he’s engineered. No one’s said “no” or told him it’s not the done thing. It has just been accepted.’
Family affair: Kate and William pose with Prince William and Princess Charlotte for this year's Christmas card
Keep your kids cozy in Prince George's festive sweater
Prince George: single handedly melting even the nations' stoniest hearts minute by minute.
And the Prince is now a style icon in his own right, too - everything the little chap wears sells out instantly. Even the Kardashians can't compete!
The trendy tot wore the cutest little outfit for the Royal's Christmas card - he's continuing to champion those shorts in cold weather like a true Brit!
George teamed his shorts with a very festive sweater by childrenswear brand Fina Ejerique, which typically is now sold out.
Fear not though - we've tracked down the high street's best alternatives to keep your toddler cool and cozy this Christmas. Scroll through the carousel below to shop our favorites from Old Navy, Hanna Anderson and more.
Full of festive cheer: Anmer Hall, the Cambridges home in Norfolk, is just a 10-minute drive from Sandringham
Both William and Kate will still, as tradition dictates, attend a Christmas Day morning service at St Mary Magdalene Church on the Sandringham estate.
William hinted in a recent interview that George may also attend for the first time, along with his sister. But while senior Royals will then head back to Sandringham for lunch, the Cambridges will go to Anmer for lunch with the Middletons, where roast turkey from the Sandringham estate will be the only similarity to the other Royal gathering.
According to another Royal source, William tried the format last year and has now established a blueprint for years to come in what is regarded in Royal circles as a coup.
‘Sandringham is wonderful, but it’s very traditional and formal, and not relaxing,’ said one insider. ‘There are multiple clothes changes a day. You can’t blame William and Kate for wanting something more relaxed.’
Plenty of decorations: This Santa window silhouette, left, and snowman piñata, right, could be at Anmer Hall
Indeed, the Anmer Christmas appears to be a grander re-creation of the Middletons’ celebrations at their home in Bucklebury. Here the big day is often played for laughs – Kate’s father Michael is known to wear fancy dress and once appeared in an inflatable sumo wrestler suit.
And with the Middletons’ company, Party Pieces, specialising in party decorations, they are not known to stint on the decor. The Mail on Sunday has been told Prince Harry has been invited to join them in the evening for quizzes and games organised by Kate’s brother James.
William and Kate will be at the Queen’s traditional Christmas dinner, which is enjoyed at Sandringham House on Christmas Eve. Children are expected to be on their best behaviour, and no one goes to bed before the Queen retires.
Tinsel toddler: Prince George, pictured with uncle Harry, is said to love the sparkly Christmas decorations
Relaxed day: Princess Charlotte will spend her first Christmas with her family at Anmer Hall
When presents are exchanged at Sandringham on Christmas Eve it will be a case of small and preferably funny – some Royals will be receiving cashmere socks from the Cambridges. Presents are wrapped with colour-coded ribbons for each person and given after a full turkey dinner.
But it is a case of the bigger the better for the Middletons. Everyone has a stocking, often enjoyed in pyjamas, on Christmas morning.
William and Kate have reportedly bought a custom-made oak see-saw engraved with their children’s names, while the Duke is said to have bought a vintage toy train set for George.
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